Angel of Mercy
by KathBell
Summary: A new CSI joins the team. She's a mystery to everyone - except Ryan who's known her for years. A backstory for Ryan. Some Eric/Calleigh. Ryan/OC Friendship with mentions of past Ryan/OC. Start of the 'Angel' series  Stand-Alone .


_Warning: Sadness occurs during this story._

_Timing: Set roughly in Season Seven and doesn't follow the episodes. _

_A.N: Please review! _

_Disclaimer: Own nothing. _

_Song: Mercy by OneRepublic. _

**Angel of mercy. **

A tragedy. That was the only word she could find to describe what happened that fateful morning. Caitlin 'Kate' Wolfe had been battling cancer for many years now, and had been beating it, which is what made it even more tragic. Amelia Carter had been next to her brother-in-law, Ryan Wolfe, with her hand wrapped around his. They had been told by a very grim-looking surgeon, that Sophie and Caitlin Wolfe had passed away during surgery. Ryan looked beside himself with guilt, and was not making any attempts to hide his tears.

Now, over six years later, she stood on the pavement outside of Miami P.D's crime lab, the Miami sun burning on her face. It was so different here. Having lived in New York for her entire life, and her only holiday destination being her home town of Helston (Cornwall, England, very cold compared to here), she was not used to such warm temperatures at all but she would adapt. It wasn't the new job that scared her. It was one, only one, of her co-workers. Ryan Wolfe. She could feel her heart beating on overdrive at the thought of finally seeing him. He hadn't been able to stay in New York after his wife and child's death, so he had just left. He had said goodbye, transferred to Miami (his boss was extremely understanding) and left.

"_Ryan, please..." She pushed her lips together to hold back sobs. "Please don't go. I can't lose you too. You'll go there and some guy will kidnap you because you did something good and I won't be there to kick that guys ass so hard he will probably become paralysed." He chucked slightly at the all-too-true and slightly terrifying joke. The pair where in the apartment that Amelia lived in, Ryan having sold his home to escape from the memories. They stood in a hug that would probably last half an hour. "Please..." She sobbed. _

"_I have to go, Amy. You know that." She just continued to cry. "I'll call you all the time, okay." _

He stopped calling. She had realised that a few years after he had came here. He had been calling once a week and then they just stopped and she had to go through his records to make sure he was alive.

She realised the reason.

He had been admitted to hospital. That was why. A nail to the eye. She shook her head. She had to do this. She had tried living in New York, she had managed to for a long time, then a certain drunken driver hitting her car had forced her away. It was how her sister and her nephew had died and she couldn't stand it.

–

Eric studied the woman entering the lobby. He didn't usually study any women other than Calleigh, but something was... off about this woman. She seemed nervous – more nervous than a normal first-day girl. She had long, chocolate brown hair that reached her waist. Her eyes were a similar hazel-brown. Her skin was quite pale, and there was a slight limp when she walked that would only be noticeable to a well trained investigators eyes.

**How did you find me? **

"Hi, do you know where Horatio Caine is?" She asked the tall, Cuban man. She had to admit, he looked quite handsome.

He smiled. "Sure, just down here." The pair started to walk towards his office. "You the new CSI?"

"Yeah," She smiled back. This guy was nice, and she would be lucky to have him as one of her co-workers. "Do you know if a Ryan Wolfe still works here?" He looked really surprised at that question. Oh no. What if something had happened to Ryan and she hadn't been told? She hid the worry on her face – badly.

"You and him are friends? And yes, he does." She noted the slight annoyance in his voice, as if he didn't like Ryan. That was a thought that she found simply impossible. Ryan was an amazing guy, with a right to be messed up, and he was extremly likable if you actually talked to him. I mean, you introduce him to your sister and in less than two years you become an aunt. Very likable in Katie's case.

"He's my brother-in-law." Amelia answered casually, unaware that she had just ruined the valuable line Ryan had made between his past and is present – between his New York life and his Miami life.

–

Eric nearly choked on the very air he was breathing at the woman's confession/words/mind-shattering news. Ryan. New Girl. Sister and brother-in-law. He saw some very valuable teasing in the future about something, something that they new girl would tell him. "Oh, you're married?" He asked with a smile as the two made their way down the corridor.

"Nope, he is- was, whatever you say for the circumstances. Hold on-" A look of fear spread over the girls face. "He never told anyone, did he?" Eric shook his head. "Oh, my God, I mess up on my first day and I haven't even started. He is going to kill me." She suddenly stumbled forward. Eric caught her on reflex.

"Are you okay?" Worry was evident in his voice for the Newbie.

"Yeah, it's nothing." His raised eyebrows told her he knew it was more than nothing. "I was in a car crash a few months ago back in New York. Drunk guy decide it was fun to drive over 100 miles per hour and break my leg. Eric nodded as they reached Horatio's office.

"He's in there. Eric Delko, by the way." He gave her a warm smile and outstretched his hand for her to shake, she took it.

"Amelia Carter." She shook his hand with a dazzling smile before walking nervously into Horatio's office.

Eric walked away with his head literally ready to explode. Ryan had been married, or is married, Amelia's description of it wasn't the best. 'Is' meant that him and the wife (whoever she was) were together, 'was' meant that they weren't, and whatever' didn't have a meaning. For some reason, he decided that he would not ask Ryan about it. He had some feeling that if it wasn't painful for Ryan to relive then he would have told everyone, right?

–

"Miss Carter?" Horatio greeted the woman entering his office.

"Yes, sir."

"Take a seat." He answered back with a smile. He had been surprised when reading over her file. Firstly, Ryan Wolfe had been listed as her emergency contact, her next-of-kin, and her medical proxy. Secondly, she had transferred down here to a lower position than she had previously been in the NYPD Crime Scene Investigation department. According to her superior, she had been less than a month away from taking over the department herself. He decided to let his curiosity win for once. "So, why the sudden scenery change?"

"I was in a crash, and it just hit me a little too hard and I thought that Miami would be a better and safer place." Horatio nodded although he didn't believe a word she said. He believed that it happened, he just didn't believe that was the reason. In her report it showed many GSW's to non-fatal places such as the shoulder or the ankle (how she got one there he would never know...)

"Okay, well, I assume you know Mr Wolfe," She nodded with a fake smile. He was going to kill her. She had gone and told the fit-cute-hot-sexy-Cuban-tall-guy, who she now knew as Eric Delko, that Ryan had been married, or whatever... Maybe the cute guy wont mention it. Oh, who was she kidding? She was so dead. She should just give Horatio her address and say that her body will be found there tomorrow. She had always been an over exaggerator, but now she felt like she had really stuck herself in it. "Okay, he is in the break room, it is just down the hall, I'm sure he will show you where everything is." She nodded with a smile.

**Where did you read my story? **

**Pulled from the papers.**

"Ryan?" She asked nervously, he looked different. Really different. He had cut his hair. "You cut your hair." He turned around with a wide smile.

"Amy?" He asked, turning round with that surprised look on his face. "What are you doing here?" He sounded happy. That had to be a good thing. She gave him a quick hug before answering.

"Transfer. New CSI job is mine." The smile faltered a bit, but she just put that down as shock. "You been okay? You stopped calling after that nail thing." He opened his mouth to ask how she knew that. "I have my sources." Tapping his chin in that annoying way of hers, she walked away from him and started to look around the room. "This place really beats New York." He just shook his head. Same old Amelia.

"Yes, I've been fine." He answered, not telling her the whole story. She would find out from someone anyway. "You?" He asked, pouring the coffee he had planned on drinking away. He would not, under any circumstances, drink coffee around Amelia, because then she would want one and if she had one you may as well sign his death papers.

"Yeah..." He raised his eyebrows as she trailed off.

"Truth this time Amy."

She smiled. "I was in a crash." Ryan flinched slightly at her admission. "Drunk driver, broke my leg. Got off lucky compared to Katie." She felt her smile fade a little, and watched as Ryan's did. She closed her eyes briefly and leaned against the table. "I miss her Ry, and little Sophie. I know it's been more than six years but I still miss them." She turned away from him as she felt tears fill her eyes. She wished she hadn't of done this now, seeing him, it made her think of her sister.

**Desperate and hardened. **

"Hey," Ryan was right in front of her now. "Amelia," She looked up at the use of her full name. "It's okay. I miss them too." She smiled slightly in an attempt to stop him worrying.

"Sorry, it's just leaving New York, feels like I'm leaving her." She laughed at the pathetic attempt at an excuse.

She did not expect for him to agree with her. This just added more evidence to the conclusion that he was a master at hiding pain. "I know." Neither of them knew that just outside of the break room, Eric had been watching the exchange with great interest. Maybe there was more to Ryan's past than he thought...

**Needing a momentary fix.**

_**Authors note: Finished! This is part of a series and the next part (The team finding out) will be posted next. The one-shots are just the lead up to my story 'Angel of death' which will be posted soon. It is about the season finale, so it's gonna be a while (still post-Wolfe-in-sheep's-clothing in this story). Reviews would be amazing! **_


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